Phoenix - Abhira Sharma's journey

himmat

Abhira approached the sleek glass building of the poddar law firm, she took a deep breath, straightening her posture.
Coming here was a tough decision for her already, she had great difficulty convinced her family to let her go. Early in the morning, from natik to kabir each one of them tried to give her courage. Kabir had even dropped here, postponing his important meeting as if it was not a big deal for him. He was ready to come in but she had stopped him declaring it was her fight and she would face it alone. He nodded at her and left the place.
Today officialy marked her first day, and despite her resolve, she felt a swirl of emotions inside. She knew who worked here inside, and she was determined to show them she was unaffected by their presence.
Pushing through the heavy glass doors, Abhira was met with a mix of surprised and indifferent glances. Sanjay, rohit and manoj looked at her stunned, from yesterday they had been trying to figure out why rajvanshs and maheshwaris decided to discontinue with them, armaan god knows where had disappeared and hasn't picked the call. They were stressed already and without the firm's brightest lawyer they could not face it alone. Abhira's arrival has left them more suprised.
Abhira looked at them, gave a slight smile to manoj ignoring both Sanjay and rohit. Manoj smiled at her back acknowledging her smile. Abhira looked away after exchanging smile whom she deemed necessary. She squared her shoulders, forcing a confident smile as she walked toward the elevator.
Abhira stepped into the open office space, where the scent of fresh coffee and polished wood filled the air. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Kaveri, who for some reason looked stressed, deep in conversation with a person. Abhira’s heart raced, but she approached with purpose.
“Maam,” she called out, her voice steady. Kaveri turned, her expression shifting from shock to suprise. Seeing abhira here was already unexpected but she calling her ma'am is what shook kaveri out completely. The girl who used to call her dadisa affectionately is now calling her ma'am in a formal tone. Kaveri could not comprehend the loss she felt.
“Abhira” she said trying to act coolly, glancing at her watch.
" I wanted to let you know that I’m here as a professional, and I expect the same respect in return,” Abhira stated firmly, locking eyes with Kaveri. “I’m not your daughter in law here. I'm here as a professional and I believe when you offered the offer letter to me you said you're offering it because you think I'm great lawyer.  and I intend to be taken seriously"
Kaveri’s brows furrowed, and for a moment, the office around them fell silent, the tension palpable. Sanjay, rohit and manoj who walked in heard the words abhira said and looked on with more shock. Kaveri could not understand what abhira meant, does she mean she doesn't want to come to poddar house anymore. How is kaveri going to handle armaan who has already agitated by abhira's absence that he doesn't even care about firm losing important clients and not answering the calls. She somehow composed herself reminding herself that she can't show her stressed state to anyone especially not abhira.
“This is a workplace, Abhira. Professionalism is expected here, regardless of our… history,” Kaveri replied, her tone clipped.
"Exactly,” Abhira shot back, her voice unwavering. “And I plan to uphold that standard.” She took a breath, feeling a surge of confidence. “ I’m here to do my job, and I will do it well.”
Kaveri regarded her for a moment, and Abhira could see the gears turning in her mind. “Very well,” she finally said, her tone slightly softer. “Let’s see if you can prove that.”
Kaveri instructed someone to show abhira her workplace. Abhira turned to walk away, she felt a mix of triumph and relief wash over her.  She could feel the weight of Kaveri's gaze lingered on her, but she pushed through, focusing on the task ahead. The office buzzed around her, and she was acutely aware of the whispers trailing in her wake. Some colleagues exchanged curious looks, while others continued typing, seemingly unfazed.Abhira made her way to her new desk, a sleek space equipped with a computer and neatly stacked files. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Abhira placed her bag down and inhaled deeply, embracing the scent of fresh coffee and the hum of productivity. This was her fresh start, and she wouldn’t let anything undermine that.As she settled in, her phone buzzed with a message. It was from a meera wishing her luck. She smiled, typing a quick reply, but just as she set her phone down, a familiar voice interrupted her.“Looks like you’ve come back to the family business,” said Sanjay, leaning casually against the doorframe with a smirk.
Abhira stiffened, keeping her expression neutral. “I’m here to work, Sir. Nothing more.”
Sanjay got startled for a moment hearing Abhiracall him sir.
“Sure, if that’s what you want to believe,” he replied, crossing his arms. “Just don’t expect everyone to roll out the red carpet for you.”
“Why would I?” Abhira countered, meeting his gaze steadily. “I’m not here for favors. I’m here to earn my place, just like everyone else.”
Sanjay raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by her assertiveness. “Well, good luck with that. You’ll need it,” he said, the smirk fading slightly before he turned and walked away.
Rohit doesn't say anything and walks away with Sanjay. Manoj gives her a helpless look to which abhira nods. She doesn't need anyone to stand up to her. She will very well can stand up for her.
She shook off the encounter and dove into her work, focusing on the tasks at hand. Hours passed as she immersed herself in research, drafting documents, and familiarizing herself with the firm’s practices.
Just as she began to feel settled, the office door swung open, and  kaveri re-entered. This time, her expression was more serious. “Abhira, I need you in conference room” she stated, her tone commanding.